@idevgames/keys-js

v1.0.0

Published

2 months ago

Keys.js powers dynamic, CSS-driven keyboard-reactive effects using CSS variables and keyboard state data. Create custom keyboard animations in CSS or use keys-animations.css for ready-made effects—full control or quick setup. Perfect for interactive websi

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Keys.js powers dynamic, CSS-driven keyboard-reactive effects using CSS variables and key press data, making interactive keyboard experiences effortless. Create custom animations in CSS or use keys-animations.css for ready-made effects—full control or quick setup. Perfect for gaming, interactive applications, and keyboard-driven UIs.

See it in action here: https://idev-games.github.io/Keys-JS/

Keys-Animations.css documentation can be found here: https://idev-games.github.io/Keys-JS/animations.html

Installation

Download from Github or install with NPM:

npm i @idevgames/keys-js

Use Keys.js from a CDN:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@idevgames/keys-js/src/keys.min.js"></script>

What is Keys.js?

Keys.js is a super simple, efficient and lightweight way of exposing keyboard input to CSS variables. You can use Keys.js to create keyboard-reactive animations, game controls, shortcuts, and interactive experiences entirely in CSS.

Using nothing but the power of CSS, HTML and Keys.js, you can make keyboard-driven games, interactive demos, and reactive UIs. Keys.js is really lightweight and created with vanilla JavaScript with zero dependencies.

Keys.js is designed to work seamlessly with other iDev animation libraries:

Motion.js - Time-based animations
Trig.js - Scroll-based animations
Cursor.js - Mouse position tracking

Together, they form a complete CSS-native animation ecosystem for modern web development and gaming.

Quick Start

Add Keys.js to your HTML:

<script src="keys.js"></script>

Add data-keys to any element you want to track:

<div class="box" data-keys data-keys-watch="space" data-keys-var="true"></div>

Style it with CSS using CSS variables:

.box {
    transform: scale(1);
    transition: transform 0.2s ease;
}

/* Scale up when space is pressed */
.box.key-space {
    transform: scale(1.5);
}

/* Or use CSS variables directly */
.box {
    transform: scale(calc(1 + var(--key-space, 0) * 0.5));
}

Gaming Mode

Keys.js is optimized for gaming with features that make it perfect for interactive applications:

1. Prevent Default Browser Behavior

Essential for games - prevents arrow keys from scrolling, space from page-down, etc.

Recommended: Per-element prevention (granular control)

<!-- Only prevent defaults for specific keys on specific elements -->
<div data-keys data-keys-watch="up,down,space" data-keys-prevent="up,down,space">
    <!-- Arrow keys and space won't scroll when this element is active -->
</div>

Alternative: Global prevention (for full-screen games)

<!-- Prevent defaults for all keys globally -->
<body data-keys-prevent-defaults="*">

<!-- Or specific keys globally -->
<body data-keys-prevent-defaults="up,down,left,right,space">

The data-keys-prevent attribute gives you fine-grained control and only prevents defaults when needed, making it easier to develop and test.

2. High-Precision Timing

Keys.js uses performance.now() instead of Date.now() for sub-millisecond precision. Perfect for frame-perfect input detection.

// Get exact hold duration in milliseconds
const holdDuration = keys.getKeyHoldDuration('space');
if (holdDuration > 500) {
    // Charged attack ready!
}

3. Non-Passive Event Listeners

Keys.js uses non-passive event listeners to support preventDefault() while maintaining responsiveness. This is critical for gaming where you need to override browser shortcuts.

4. Key Repeat Detection

Keys.js tracks the first press separately from key repeats, ensuring accurate press counting and timing:

// Press count only increments on initial keydown, not repeats
const pressCount = keys.getKeyPressCount('space');

CSS Variables

Keys.js exposes keyboard state as CSS variables that update in real-time:

/* Key state (0 or 1) */
var(--key-space)              /* Is space pressed? */
var(--key-w)                  /* Is W pressed? */
var(--key-enter)              /* Is enter pressed? */

/* Press count */
var(--key-space-count)        /* How many times pressed */

/* Hold duration */
var(--key-shift-duration)     /* Hold time in milliseconds (e.g. "1234ms") */
var(--key-shift-hold)         /* Normalized 0-1 value (capped at 1 second) */

/* Modifier keys */
var(--key-shift)              /* Is shift pressed? */
var(--key-ctrl)               /* Is ctrl pressed? */
var(--key-alt)                /* Is alt pressed? */
var(--key-meta)               /* Is meta/cmd pressed? */

/* Active keys count */
var(--keys-active)            /* Number of keys currently pressed */

Example: Charged Attack

<div class="charge-bar" data-keys data-keys-watch="shift" data-keys-var="true">
    <div class="charge-fill"></div>
</div>

.charge-fill {
    /* Width grows from 0 to 100% based on hold duration (0-1) */
    width: calc(var(--key-shift-hold, 0) * 100%);
    height: 10px;
    background: linear-gradient(90deg, #700c0c, #ff8800);
    transition: width 0.05s linear;
}

/* Full charge indicator */
[data-key-shift-hold="1"] .charge-fill {
    box-shadow: 0 0 20px #ff8800;
    animation: pulse 0.3s ease infinite;
}

CSS Classes

Keys.js automatically adds classes to elements for easy CSS targeting:

/* General classes */
.keys-active          /* Added when ANY key is pressed */
.keys-typing          /* Added when user is typing */
.keys-idle            /* Added when no keys pressed */

/* Specific key classes */
.key-space            /* Added when space is pressed */
.key-enter            /* Added when enter is pressed */
.key-w                /* Added when W is pressed */
.key-up               /* Added when up arrow is pressed */

/* Body classes for key count breakpoints */
.keys-count-1         /* At least 1 key pressed */
.keys-count-2         /* At least 2 keys pressed */
.keys-count-3         /* At least 3 keys pressed */
.keys-count-5         /* At least 5 keys pressed */
.keys-count-10        /* At least 10 keys pressed */

Example:

.player {
    background: blue;
}

/* Turn red when space is pressed */
.player.key-space {
    background: red;
    transform: translateY(-50px);
}

Data Attributes

Configure Keys.js behavior with HTML attributes:

<div id="player"
     data-keys
     data-keys-watch="w,a,s,d,space"
     data-keys-var="true"
     data-keys-global="false"
     data-keys-combo="shift+space"
     data-keys-prevent="space,w,a,s,d">
</div>

Available Attributes

| Attribute | Description | Example | |-----------|-------------|---------| | data-keys | Enable Keys.js on element | data-keys | | data-keys-watch | Comma-separated list of keys to track | data-keys-watch="w,a,s,d" | | data-keys-var | Enable CSS variables | data-keys-var="true" | | data-keys-global | Set variables on :root instead of element | data-keys-global="true" | | data-keys-combo | Define key combo to detect | data-keys-combo="ctrl+shift" | | data-keys-prevent | Prevent default browser behavior for specific keys | data-keys-prevent="up,down,space" | | data-keys-prevent-defaults | Keys to prevent default behavior (body only, legacy) | data-keys-prevent-defaults="*" |

JavaScript API

Keys.js provides a comprehensive API for game development and advanced interactions:

Core Methods

// Check if key is currently pressed
keys.isKeyDown('space')          // true/false
keys.isKeyActive('w')            // alias for isKeyDown

// Get all currently pressed keys
keys.getActiveKeys()             // ['w', 'shift', 'space']

// Get press count (excludes key repeats)
keys.getKeyPressCount('space')   // 5

// Get hold duration in milliseconds
keys.getKeyHoldDuration('shift') // 1234

Gaming Methods

// Get axis value (-1, 0, or 1)
keys.getAxis('a', 'd')           // -1, 0, or 1

// Get 2D movement vector
keys.getVector2D('w', 's', 'a', 'd')  // {x: 0, y: 1}
keys.getWASDVector()             // {x: -1, y: 0}
keys.getArrowVector()            // {x: 1, y: -1}

// Check combos
keys.isComboActive('ctrl', 'shift', 'a')  // true/false

Configuration Methods

// Prevent default browser behavior
keys.preventDefaults('space', 'up', 'down')

// Allow default behavior
keys.allowDefaults('space')

// Clear all active keys (for pause menus)
keys.clearAllKeys()

// Reset press counters
keys.resetKeyPressCount('space')
keys.resetKeyPressCount()  // reset all

Keys-Animations.css

Keys.js comes with a ready-to-use animation library with 30+ keyboard-triggered animations:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="keys-animations.css">

<div data-keys data-keys-watch="space" class="keys-anim-press-pulse">
    Press SPACE to see pulse animation
</div>

Animation Categories:

Press Animations: pulse, shake, bounce, glow, flash
Arrow Keys: arrow-up, arrow-down, arrow-left, arrow-right
WASD Movement: wasd-up, wasd-down, wasd-left, wasd-right
Specific Keys: space-jump, enter-confirm, escape-fade, tab-switch
Typing Effects: typing-glow, typing-scale, typing-shake
Combos: combo-flash, combo-spin, combo-burst
Rotation: rotate-r, rotate-continuous
Color Effects: color-shift, brightness-pulse, fade-in

See all animations: https://idev-games.github.io/Keys-JS/animations.html

Integration with iDev Ecosystem

Keys.js works seamlessly with other iDev libraries for complete CSS-native game development:

Example: Player Movement (Keys.js + Motion.js)

<div class="player"
     data-keys
     data-keys-watch="w,a,s,d,space"
     data-keys-var="true"
     data-motion
     data-motion-var="true">
</div>

.player {
    position: absolute;

    /* Position based on WASD key press count */
    left: calc(50% + (var(--key-d-count, 0) - var(--key-a-count, 0)) * 10px);
    top: calc(50% + (var(--key-s-count, 0) - var(--key-w-count, 0)) * 10px);

    /* Idle animation from Motion.js */
    transform: translateY(calc(var(--motion-bounce, 0%) * 0.05));
}

/* Jump on space */
.player.key-space {
    transform: translateY(-50px);
    transition: transform 0.2s ease-out;
}

See [https://codepen.io/collection/gPEpkK](codepen examples) for comprehensive integration examples.

Game Development Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <script src="keys.js"></script>
    <style>
        .game-world {
            position: relative;
            width: 100vw;
            height: 100vh;
            overflow: hidden;
        }

        .player {
            position: absolute;
            width: 50px;
            height: 50px;
            background: #700c0c;

            /* WASD movement */
            left: calc(50% + (var(--key-d-count, 0) - var(--key-a-count, 0)) * 5px);
            top: calc(50% + (var(--key-s-count, 0) - var(--key-w-count, 0)) * 5px);

            transition: transform 0.1s linear;
        }

        /* Jump on space */
        .player.key-space {
            transform: translateY(-50px) scale(1.2);
        }

        /* Dash on shift */
        .player.key-shift {
            filter: blur(2px);
            transition: all 0.05s linear;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body data-keys-prevent-defaults="*">
    <div class="game-world">
        <div class="player"
             data-keys
             data-keys-watch="w,a,s,d,space,shift"
             data-keys-var="true">
        </div>
    </div>

    <script>
        // Game loop
        function update() {
            // Get input
            const movement = keys.getWASDVector();

            // Check combos
            if (keys.isComboActive('shift', 'space')) {
                console.log('Super jump!');
            }

            // Check hold duration
            const chargeTime = keys.getKeyHoldDuration('shift');
            if (chargeTime > 1000) {
                console.log('Attack charged!');
            }

            requestAnimationFrame(update);
        }

        update();
    </script>
</body>
</html>

Performance Best Practices

Use data-keys-watch to limit which keys are tracked per element
Prevent defaults only when needed - use specific keys, not * for regular websites
Use CSS transitions instead of JavaScript for smooth animations
Leverage requestAnimationFrame for game loops, not setInterval
Combine with Motion.js for time-based effects without JavaScript animation loops

Browser Compatibility

Keys.js works in all modern browsers:

✅ Chrome 90+
✅ Firefox 88+
✅ Safari 14+
✅ Edge 90+

Uses standard APIs:

Keyboard Events (KeyboardEvent)
Performance API (performance.now())
CSS Custom Properties
requestAnimationFrame

Key Normalization

Keys.js automatically normalizes key names for consistency:

| Browser Key | Normalized Name | |-------------|-----------------| | ' ' (space) | space | | 'ArrowUp' | up | | 'ArrowDown' | down | | 'ArrowLeft' | left | | 'ArrowRight' | right | | 'Control' | ctrl | | 'Meta' | meta | | 'Shift' | shift | | 'Alt' | alt | | 'Enter' | enter | | 'Escape' | esc | | 'Backspace' | backspace | | 'Tab' | tab |

All other keys use their lowercase event.key value.

Companion Libraries

Keys.js is part of the iDev Animation Toolkit Ecosystem:

🎹 Keys.js (You are here)

Purpose: Keyboard-reactive CSS variables Best For: Gaming controls, keyboard shortcuts, interactive applications

⏱️ Motion.js

Purpose: Time-reactive CSS variables Best For: Loading animations, ambient motion, continuous effects

📜 Trig.js

Purpose: Scroll-reactive CSS variables Best For: Parallax effects, scroll reveals, storytelling websites

🖱️ Cursor.js

Purpose: Mouse position tracking Best For: Cursor effects, mouse-reactive animations

Together they provide complete control over input, time, and state - all through CSS!

License

MIT License - Free for commercial and personal use